Now you can check if your home has been infested or not with a self-test. “The continuous increase in the number of bed bug infestations over the past ten years in France can be explained by the much too long delay of an average of three months between the beginning of the infestations and their eradication. With each passing week, the risk of contaminating other places increases exponentially.
During the first 6 to 8 weeks of an infestation, it is almost impossible to see the bed bugs and their traces,” explains Nicolas Roux de Bézieux, co-founder of Badbugs, a platform specialized in assisting individuals and professionals affected by pests (bed bugs, rats, cockroaches, hornets…). Badbugs has just launched a bed bug detection self-test, called Clearbugs, which is 92% reliable and allows you to know in less than 5 minutes if you are a victim of bed bugs or not. The presentation and the mode of use of the self-test are directly reminiscent of those used for Covid.
In practical terms, you need to open the tube and collect residues from pillows, sheets, and the top of mattresses. Once the collection is complete, place the swab back into the tube. Place four drops of liquid in the reader’s receptacle.
Read the result between 30 seconds and 5 minutes. In case of a positive result, the affected person benefits from a free teleconsultation with an expert. The bed bug detection self-test costs 29.90€.
“Until now, the only way we had to detect the presence of bed bugs was to see traces, small excrements, which usually appear after eight weeks. Or, before this eight-week period, resort to canine detection. However, there is often a long wait for a canine detection, and it is costly, between 200 and 350 euros.
The test can also be used to check suitcases during a hotel stay. You can run the swab over the suitcase lining to check for bed bug presence. “Another use case: if we know we have them at home, if we fear we may have left them with relatives, we can send them a test to limit the spread of bed bugs,” adds Nicolas Roux de Bézieux .